A freshly shaven Dan Wilson, who shed his playoff mustache after the Seattle Mariners were eliminated by Toronto in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series, was carrying the weight of just how the franchise was to its first World Series three days later. Much went right for the Mariners on the way to their first AL West title since 2001. Catcher Cal Raleigh became the seventh player in major league history to hit 60 homers in a season, making a strong case for AL MVP in his first season after signing a $105 million, six-year contract.
TOR